The Houston Rockets host the Dallas Mavericks in the opening game of the NBA Regular Season on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Tip-off at the Toyota Center, in Houston, is set for 8:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local time in Houston), with live coverage available on WFAA, KFAA, Space City Home Network (SCHN), MavsTV+, and Fubo.
Both Western Conference franchises enter the 2026-27 regular season with a 0-0 record. In the previous 2025-26 campaign, the Houston Rockets finished with a 52-30 record before suffering their second consecutive first-round playoff elimination against the Los Angeles Lakers, while the Dallas Mavericks recorded a 26-56 mark. In their most recent regular-season meeting on January 31, 2026, Houston defeated Dallas by a score of 111-107.
Where to watch Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks live
Fans in the United States can follow the Texas rivalry through five broadcast and streaming options:
- WFAA (over-the-air TV)
- KFAA (over-the-air TV)
- Space City Home Network (SCHN) (cable TV)
- MavsTV+ (streaming)
- Fubo (streaming)
Start time and venue for Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks
The official schedule details for the season opener are listed below:
- Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
- Start time: 8:30 p.m. (America/New_York) / 7:30 p.m. local time at the arena (America/Chicago)
- Venue: Toyota Center, in Houston
- Competition and stage: NBA — Regular Season
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How the Houston Rockets arrive for the game
Head coach Ime Udoka begins his fourth season leading the Houston Rockets with a projected starting lineup already confirmed prior to opening night: point guard Fred VanVleet, shooting guard Amen Thompson, small forward Kevin Durant, power forward Jabari Smith Jr., and center Alperen Sengun. VanVleet returns to the court after missing the entire previous season due to a knee injury sustained in the preseason.
During the 2025-26 campaign, Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists across 78 games, while Sengun recorded averages of 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in 72 appearances. To bolster the rotation for the new calendar, the front office signed veterans Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanovic. Additionally, on October 19, 2026, the franchise converted the contracts of Oscar Tshiebwe and Julian Phillips into two-way deals, which split a player’s time between the NBA roster and the development league.
On the official NBA injury report for the opener, center Steven Adams (right calf tightness) and forward Julian Phillips (illness) are listed as questionable.
“I would say the excitement is having the full group back. The injuries last year, we went into the season with some unknowns and some different things we hadn’t planned initially. But to have the full group back and the additions and the development of the young guys, it feels like we’re more whole. We can now hit the ground running as opposed to figuring it out on the fly,” said Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka.
“We’re not here to just make the first round; we want to make some real noise. Everybody’s hungrier for that and to take the next step and not plateau,” Udoka added regarding the team’s goals.
How the Dallas Mavericks arrive for the game
The Dallas Mavericks underwent an offseason overhaul in both the front office and coaching staff. The franchise hired Masai Ujiri as president of basketball operations in May 2026 and appointed Dusty May—who won the 2026 NCAA national championship with Michigan—as head coach in June 2026 to replace Jason Kidd. Roster adjustments continued on October 19, 2026, when Dallas waived veteran center Dwight Powell to open a rotation spot for rookie Morez Johnson Jr.
On the court, point guard Kyrie Irving makes his first regular-season appearance for the Dallas Mavericks since March 3, 2025. He takes the floor alongside guard/forward Cooper Flagg, who averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists during the 2025-26 season, and newly acquired forward Zaccharie Risacher. While Irving, Flagg, power forward P.J. Washington, Risacher, and center Daniel Gafford are projected as the main candidates for the starting unit—with Naji Marshall also competing for minutes—Dusty May has not yet confirmed the official starting five.
“He’s going to be a major rotation piece and play a lot. I don’t know what the starting lineup is going to be quite yet. We’ll know as we get closer to game time,” stated Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May regarding Risacher and the starting group.
Dallas enters the opening game with four confirmed absences on the official NBA injury report: power forward Santi Aldama (right knee surgery), center Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), shooting guard Tarik Biberovic (right heel bursitis), and forward Caleb Martin (right thumb sprain). Furthermore, shooting guard Jett Howard is listed as questionable due to right calf tightness.
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Officiating for Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks
The officiating crew and replay center assignments for the game have not yet been released, as the NBA officially announces its referee designations on the morning of each game day.
Head-to-head history between Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks
During the 2025-26 regular season, the four games between the two Texas franchises ended in a 2-2 tie. The Houston Rockets won on November 3, 2025 (110-102) and January 31, 2026 (111-107), while the Dallas Mavericks secured victories on December 6, 2025 (122-109) and January 3, 2026 (110-104).
More recently, the teams faced each other twice in Macau during the NBA China Games preseason series. Houston won the first exhibition matchup on Friday, October 9, 2026, by 135-117, and Dallas won the second contest on Sunday, October 11, 2026, by 132-115.
